1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for improving control over transmission of information in an environment, such as a school or other logistically challenged environment. More particularly, the present transmitting invention generally relates to a data processing telecommunication network capable of receiving and processing wireless transmissions from mobile stations which may be used in academic institutions permitting, for example, real time tracking of attendance and personnel movement, real time monitoring and modification of student records, improved security with respect to institutional access and test session admission, improved grading of student exams and improved monitoring of student outstanding credits and debits. More particularly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to an academic data processing telecommunication network capable of communicating with a mobile electro-optical reader for electro-optically reading and/or analyzing encoded indicia. Although in a preferred embodiment described herein involves information exchange in a scholastic environment, the present invention is applicable to a much broader class of environments, including, for example, manufacturing, trading, military institutions, hospitals, government buildings and retail.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Local area networks (xe2x80x9cLANsxe2x80x9d) are data processing telecommunication networks which allow a number of data processing units to communicate with each other and with a network server through dedicated channels. Typically a LAN encompasses a limited distance, usually one building or several buildings in close proximity. Conventionally, data processing units in a LAN have been interconnected by means of either electrical line or optical fiber. Portable data processing units traditionally have been given access to the LAN by means of one or more plug-in connectors interconnected to the LAN, and positioned at fixed points at data processing stations. As is known in the art, such conventional cabled interconnection entails considerable expense in requiring new cabling each time a new plug-in connector is desired.
Because of the numerous disadvantages associated with entirely physically-cabled data processing telecommunication networks, so-called xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d data processing telecommunication networks, such as the xe2x80x9cwireless LANxe2x80x9d, have developed. Such xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d data processing telecommunication networks have at least a part of the network communicating with another part of the network by aerial transmission. Such wireless data processing telecommunication networks frequently employ infrared light or radio wave propagation as the transmission system.
In a conventional wireless LAN, information is typically transmitted from wireless stations, having one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving messages, to an access point (or base station), which provides access to the infrastructure network, such as an Ethernet. In a typical wireless LAN, information which is to flow between the wireless stations must first be received at the access point and then re-transmitted to the wireless station that needs the information. Wireless systems exist, however, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,531, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, wherein wireless stations may transmit signals directly to one another when the destination station is in the same service area and the communication link quality is reasonable. The access point may be connected by cable to a backbone LAN, connected to other devices and/or networks which stations in the LAN may communicate, or may communicate with the LAN by wireless transmission. The access point typically has one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving messages over the wireless communication channel. Each wireless station may be assigned an address which is consistent with other LAN addresses on the backbone LAN.
A conventional wireless LAN of the prior art is depicted in FIG. 1. Mobile stations 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, having antennas 24-1, 24-2, 24-3 and 24-4, respectively, transmit aerially a signal to one or more access points, 14-1, 14-2 and 16, which may be physically cabled, 14-1 and 14-2, to backbone LAN 10, or un-cabled, 16, to backbone LAN 10. Access points, 14-1, 14-2 and 16, have antennas 22-1, 22-2, 22-3, respectively, for transmitting and receiving messages in the aerial transmission. Cabled access points, 14-1 and 14-2, and non-cabled access point, 16, serve as base stations permitting communication by aerial transmission between backbone LAN 10 and mobile stations 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, such that backbone LAN 10 may receive data from, and communicate data to, mobile stations 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4. The signal sent by one mobile station, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, may be forwarded by an access point, 14-1 and 14-2, receiving the signal, to another mobile station, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4. Mobile stations, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, signals may alternatively be transmitted directly to another mobile station. Each mobile station, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, may be assigned an address which is consistent with other LAN addresses on backbone LAN 10. Thereby, messages may be transmitted to any mobile station, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3 and 18-4, by broadcasting it on backbone LAN 10.
For example, access point 14-2 may broadcast a message on backbone LAN 10 having an address destined for mobile station 18-4. When access point 14-2 receives the message, it recognizes the address of mobile station 18-4 as one of the stations in its service area, and transmits the message to mobile station 18-4. As the other access point, 14-1, on backbone LAN 10 does not have mobile station 18-4 listed in its service area, it does not respond to the message intended for mobile station 18-4. For example, access point 14-1 may broadcast a message to mobile station 18-2. Backbone LAN 10 may be combined also with peripherals (not depicted), such as printers, modems, etc. As would be appreciated by one of skill in the art, wireless communication between the mobile stations and other data processing telecommunication networks, such as PBX, and other network topologies, such as a token ring, may be employed in the present invention.
Because of their great flexibility and the lack of need for expensive cabling, wireless LANs have found widespread employment since their. inception. For example, transactions on many of the stock exchanges are now frequently carried out by using hand-held computers in a wireless LAN environment rather than the system of complex hand signals that were but only a few years ago common place on trading floors. Similarly, many medical centers now employ hand-held computers linked by wireless transmissions to their LAN to allow health care professionals to instantly access patient records for bedside critical care. Retail stores have also begun linking their registers by wireless communications to their store computer via the LAN to permit point-in-time updating of sales information and stock re-ordering.
While wireless LANs have found widespread use in commercial settings, they have only more recently been employed in academic settings.
Many schools, laboratories and class rooms were built prior to the widespread use of computers. As such they lack the wiring necessary for a institution-wide conventional LAN. Initially many of these schools opted for stand-alone computers for class room use, and a separate more circumscribed LAN environment for administrative use. However, the not infrequently seen incremental increase in the cost of software site licenses for stand-alone computers, as compared to network licenses, frustration with bottlenecking information access and information utilization by storing data on a plurality of distinctly different non-interconnected data storage units, a recognition of the inefficiencies involved in maintaining multiple, often distinctly different, software programs on each unit, as well as the clamoring for instantaneous access to networked information and the need for centralized storage of data, has led many schools to seek alternatives to such a tiered data processing system, such as the wireless LAN system.
As enrollment in a particular academic study may vary greatly year to year, the demand for access to network services in a particular classroom or laboratory may change significantly. The wireless LAN network provides a significant advantage to academic institutions, over a completely wired LAN network, in that it permits limited computer resources to be extemporaneously reallocated to classrooms and laboratories where they are needed with minimum cost and effort. Computers having aerial transmission capability, that is the ability to transmit signals by wireless means through the air, can be rolled into and out of class rooms or laboratories permitting connection, for example, to the networked CD-ROM server or automated library card catalog. By means of such a wireless system, data generated in a laboratory can easily be stored on the network or sent in real time to other transmissible destinations, such as the computer lab where students may be working on reports.
As set forth above, adoption. of wireless LAN technology by academic institutions has been motivated in great part by a desire to avoid expensive cabling, improve information flow, to save money and to improve allocation of limited computer resources. Little motivation for such systems has arisen, however, owing to specific applications to which such technology may be advantageously employed to resolve problems commonplace in the academic environment.
Academic institutions suffer from several problems associated with their unique mission, that is, education of their enrollees. As part of this mission, there is significant need to control and monitor numerous student activities throughout an academic day. Most academic institutions are faced with limited resources to control and monitor such activities. Commonplace needs in such institutions include the need for tracking student attendance of classes and student movement, the need to monitor student possession and use of institutional inventory, the need to secure access to the institution and test sessions, and the need to monitor student progress in learning.
Given the widespread importance placed in our society on grades, and the relative position of a student scholastically with respect to the student""s peers, students are often inflicted with a great pressure to excel. The overall grade point average of a student in an institution may have dramatic impact on the student""s future career opportunities and advancement opportunities. Teachers therefore must take great care in scoring tests and associating the test scores with the appropriate student. Errors are not infrequently made. Further, certain students succumb to the desire to excel at any cost. This has led to several unsavory practices such as students employing third parties versed in a particular subject matter to take an exam in that subject area in their name.
In elementary academic institutions, there is also a significant segment of the student population that rebels against the academic environment, attendance of which is often compulsory by law. These students not infrequently attempt to minimize their participation in the academic environment by skipping school or classes, anticipating the failure of the instructor to take attendance.
In any academic environment, given the large number of students, there is also a significant need to track student access to, and use of, limited institutional resources. For example, students are frequently allowed to borrow materials from the institution, such as library books and computers, or to charge meals. Conventional schemes for recording the temporary possession and consumption, of these items by the student generally require considerable time for the input of student identification information along with the date and item placed in the students possession.
While a data processing telecommunication network capable of receiving aerial transmissions, such as a wireless LAN, arguably would aid in the recordation of such information by providing more readily accessible, real-time, data input devices in localities lacking wired connection to the institutional LAN, such networks alone provide no method for assuring the accuracy and validity of the data entered. It should be noted that the tracking of student attendance and student movement, the monitoring of student possession and use of institutional inventory, securing access to the institution and test sessions, and monitoring student progress in learning, all intrinsically require the accurate recordation of the student to the ascribed activity. Heretofore, the only methods available to assure that a particular student was indeed authorized to take an exam, had appropriately responded to an attendance call, had validly secured access to the institution or a test session, had indeed borrowed, loaned or used academic property, was either for an academic employee to know the student, and the activity which the student was permitted to undertake, or to compare the physical attributes of the student against a picture identity card issued by the institution and check institutional records to confirm authorization for that student. Further, association of a particular student with an activity, required manual input into student records, or manual input into a LAN terminal. Such methods of identification, confirmation and recordation are extremely time consuming, as well as error prone. For example, students have been known to forge identity cards by imposing their picture onto the card of another. Similarly, mis-association of the record of one student with that of another is not uncommon, particularly when the student names are similar.
There is therefore a need for an system and method which permits improved tracking of student attendance and student movement, monitoring of student possession and use of institutional inventory, securing access to the institution and test sessions, monitoring student progress in learning and which takes advantage of the improved access and real-time entry capabilities of a xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d LAN, and other xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d data processing telecommunication networks.
There is disclosed an improved system and method for tracking of student attendance and student movement, the monitoring of student possession and use of institutional inventory, securing authorized student access to the institution and test sessions, and monitoring student progress in learning. An embodiment of the present invention employs a data processing telecommunications network having wireless communication capability, an electro-optical reader, a student identity card having encoded indicia thereon correlatable to the student""s identity and readable by the electro-optical reader, and a processor for correlating confirmed student identity information with student activity information.
An embodiment of the present invention comprises a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, and wherein the mobile station. comprises: an electro-optical reader for scanning encoded indicia and converting the encoded indicia into a first signal representing the encoded indicia, wherein the encoded indicia represents an image of a person and a code identifying the person; an operator interface operatively connected to said electro-optical reader for generating a second signal indicative of an activity of the person in response to operator manipulation of said operator interface; an electro-optical processor, operatively connected to said electro-optical reader and said operator interface, for receiving the first and second signals; a transceiver operatively connected to said electro-optical processor; a display operatively connected to said electro-optical processor; wherein said electro-optical processor is operatively configured and adapted to: display the image of the person on the display based on the first signal, and upon receipt from said interface of a third signal indicating correlation between the image and the person undertaking or wishing to undertake the activity, to cause said transceiver to transmit a fourth signal indicating activity and the person identified by the encoded indicia to said server over said access point of said backbone so that the activity of the person and the identity of the person can be stored in said server memory.
Also is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, a method for recording an activity of a student carrying a substrate having encoded indicia identifying the student comprising the steps of: reading from the substrate the encoded indicium using an electro-optical reader; generating a set of first data indicative of the identity of the student; generating a second set of data indicative of an activity of the student; transmitting aerially a signal representing the first and second set of data to said wireless data processing telecommunications network; and storing in said server memory of said wireless data processing telecommunications network data indicative of the activity ascribed to the student.
Further is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, a method for obtaining from a student carrying a substrate having encoded indicia identifying the student, information from institutional records, comprising the steps of: reading from the substrate the encoded indicium using an electro-optical reader; generating a set of first data indicative of the identity of the student; generating a second set of data indicative of an inquiry pertaining to the student""s institutional record; transmitting aerially a signal representing the first and second set of data to said access point of said wireless data processing telecommunications network; processing the aerial signal in said data processing telecommunications network environment such as to resolve the inquiry by accessing said institutional records stored in said server memory; and transmitting aerially a signal from said access point of said data processing telecommunications network representative of a response to said inquiry pertaining to the student""s institutional record.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a method for confirming the identity of a student presenting a presenting a substrate having encoded indicia correlateable with the image of the student: converting the actual image of a person presenting the substrate as identification into a first digital data stream; reading the encoded indicia on said substrate by means of an. electro-optical reader to produce a second digital data stream; comparing said first digital data stream to said second digital data stream; and signaling confirmation of identity if there is significant correspondence between the first and second digital data streams.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, a method for administering and grading examinations given to a student carrying a substrate having identity encoded indicia thereon identifying the student, comprising the steps of: placing on an examination a test encoded indicia uniquely associated with said examination; encoding the answers to said examination with answer encoded indicia associated with each answer to a question on the examination; reading said identity encoded indicia, said test encoded indicia and said answer encoded indicia by means of an electro-optical reader; transmitting aerially from said electro-optical reader processor a signal indicative of said identity encoded indicia, said test encoded indicia and said answer encoded indicia to said access point of said data processing telecommunications network; and grading such test in said data processing telecommunications network backbone by comparing the answer information provided by the identified student with respect to the identified test against the correct answers associated with said identified test.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein the server has a memory associated therewith, a method for tracking attendance comprising the steps of: assigning each person in a group of people a unique identification symbology; collecting the unique identification symbologies from persons attending an event; transmitting aerially from the mobile station to the access point of the data processing telecommunications network a signal indicative of the unique identification symbologies collected from the persons attending an event and of the event itself; processing in the data processing telecommunications network the transmitted signal such that the identity of the persons attending the event is correlated with the event in said memory.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, a method for providing transmission of information directed to a person in an institution, comprising the steps of: assigning said mobile station to a person; transmitting aerially from said mobile station to said access point of said data processing telecommunications network a signal indicative of the identity said person to which said mobile station has been assigned and the particular mobile station from which such signal is sent; processing in said data processing telecommunications network said transmitted signal such that the identity of the person assigned said mobile station is correlated with the particular mobile station which was assigned in said memory; transmitting from said data processing telecommunications network, to said mobile station assigned to said person, information received by said data processing telecommunications network which is directed to said person while said mobile station is assigned to said person. The particular processing telecommunications network may employ a mobile station which may have pager functionality, such that the person may be informed of a message, or may have telephone functionality, such that the person may actually communicate verbally with another person through the mobile station. The mobile station may also comprise a telephone, and may be equipped with a S24 card radio.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed, in a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone and a mobile station in wireless communication with the access point, wherein said server has a memory associated therewith, a method for providing transmission of information directed to a specific location in an institution, comprising the steps of: assigning said mobile station to a specific location; transmitting aerially from said mobile station to said access point of said data processing telecommunications network a signal indicative of the identity of said specific location to which said mobile station has been assigned and the particular mobile station from which such signal is sent; processing in said data processing telecommunications network said transmitted signal such that the identity of said specific location to which said mobile station has been assigned is correlated with the particular mobile station which was assigned in said memory; transmitting from said data processing telecommunications network, to said mobile station assigned to said specific location, information received by said data processing telecommunications network which is directed to said specific location while said mobile station is assigned to said specific location. The particular processing telecommunications network may employ a mobile station which may have pager functionality, such that the person may be informed of a message, or may have telephone functionality, such that the person may actually communicate verbally with another person through the mobile station. The mobile station may also comprise a telephone, and may be equipped with a S24 card radio.
Also is disclosed is a wireless data processing telecommunications network comprising a backbone, a server having memory associated therewith in communication with the backbone, an access point in communication with the backbone, a vending machine, incorporating an electro-optical reader, offering the selection of one or more items for one or more monetary values, which is in wireless communication with the access point, and a monetary credit machine, incorporating: an electro-optical reader, capable of debiting monetary value from a monetary source, which is in communication with the backbone. Such wireless data processing telecommunications network may be used to effectuate a method for crediting and debiting a student""s account comprising one or more steps of: providing a student with a substrate having encoded indicia identifying the student; placing the substrate into the monetary credit machine; reading the indicia on the substrate using the monetary credit machine electro-optical reader; placing a source of monetary value, such as, but not limited to, currency, a credit card, a debit card, a SmartCard(copyright) having monetary value, and the like, into the monetary credit machine and correlating the same, or a fraction thereof, with the identity of the student encoded by the indicia on the substrate; crediting on the server in a student account database stored in server memory a certain amount of the monetary value placed in the monetary credit machine to the identity of the student represented by the encoded indicia; inputting the student substrate into the vending machine and reading the encoded indicia using the vending machine electro-optical reader; selecting a priced item from said vending machine; transmitting the identity of the student and the item value selected from the vending machine to the access point; debiting the amount of any vending machine purchase from the account database associated with the student.